PHILOSOPHICAL AND HISTORICAL VIEWS OF M. M. SHCHERBATOV

Skopa V. A.

The article deals with the philosophical views of M. M. Shcherbatov on the problem of historical development. Serious ideological differences with orthodox Christianity left their mark on Shcherbatov's interpretation of Russian history. The problem of the "beginning" of history organically develops in Shcherbatov's studies into the problem of understanding the nature of state power. The dichotomy "natural" - "divine" permeates the historical and socio-political views of M. M. Shcherbatov. The opposition between "natural" and "divine" is brought by Shcherbatov to the level of enlightenment anti-clericalism. Shcherbatov uniquely combines the perception of models for the present in the deep past with the anticipation of the future, in which the project of social organization is being implemented. Shcherbatov's philosophical and historical views are an attempt to comprehend the process of irreversible social changes through internal historical causes, without resorting to the idea of Divine conduct. The unity of historical changes in Shcherbatov's understanding becomes accessible to knowledge due to the constancy of human motives for social action.

Keywords:history of philosophical thought, M. M. Shcherbatov, Enlightenment, Russian statehood, transcendence